Those Cold, Loving Eyes
by Zoo Zoo
Summary: There was always something enchanting lurching behind those cobalt eyes, something not human… and I wanted to find out what it was. This, my dear readers, is a story not only of discovery, but of self-discovery. SetoxJou pairing later, one sided JouxMai
1. What a Tangled Mess she Leaves

Hello and Welcome, to the first chapter of my new story Those Cold, Loving Eyes. It will be mostly in third person, coming from an all seeing source of magic and wonder. This story has a lot of ties to the mystic land of Faeries, and what sort of hold they can put on humans.

Disclaimer: I get most of my inspiration from the Holly Black fae series, and the Great Encyclopedia of Faeries by Pierre Dubois. I don't claim to own either of those, nor do I claim to own the Yu-Gi-Oh series, it's characters, or plot line. I do, however, take a small claim to the plot of this story, and that's it.

Please enjoy!!

Chapter One- What a Tangled Mess she Leaves:

There was always something enchanting lurching behind those cobalt eyes, something not human… and I wanted to find out what it was. I wanted…no, I needed to figure out what gave him the power to make me not only shake down to my soul with fear, but posses me to want to rip my own foolish heart out of my chest. I admit that I love him, but now I wonder, is it really love, or are his sick and twisted eyes forcing me into his cold and unwelcoming embrace…

Little did Jou know, that behind his wandering imagination, he had spoken the truth about Seto Kaiba. Indeed, he was not human, but then, what was he? What manor of unearthly being could he be, that would cause our lovesick pup to fall for the one he was suppose to hate? The answer, my dear readers, will become clear as time unfurls. Let us go now, to a warm and sunny spring morning in Domino City, Japan. Here, you will see the effect Seto has over Jou, and the problems it causes…

The park was nothing special. Indeed, there were plenty more grand and beautiful then this one. But to Jou, it was like walking into another world, a world that took away all his fears and worries and turned them into the pink petals that were scattered across the pathways. He could walk here and let his mind wander, thinking of whatever came to mind. Today, however, it seemed that one subject would not leave the front of his mind. That thing-or rather, person- was Seto Kaiba. Not only his arch rival, but the same person that deep down, held a heart of gold behind iron bars.

Jou's heart began to flutter, his face turning the same pink as the falling petals all around him. He thought of his voice, the deep tenor and bass notes that hit his ears in melodic patterns. He envisioned those cobalt eyes, which stared at him with such anger and hostility, yet masked a deeper feeling, one that he couldn't describe. Then came the hands, they were soft to the touch, but gripped him with such force that they often left nasty bruises. Jou thought of his body, the lean and toned muscles that rippled underneath the pale, milky skin. The way that he stood, and the way that he walked, to Jou he was the earthly embodiment of a God.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to chase away these thoughts of lust and desire. _Get a hold of yourself Katsuya! He's your enemy, not something you can oogle over in your sick and twisted thoughts! Besides, you're dating Mai, the best looking girl this side of New York. _He told himself while fighting to keep down the blush. _You have NO feelings for that ignorant, self-centered, arrogant…beautiful jerk named Seto- fucking-Kaiba!_

He puffed out his chest, and marched out of the park, determined not to be late for the lunch date he had with Mai. This was the last time he was going to see her for a month, and he wanted to propose to her before she left.

As he entered the small restaurant, he was hit by an overwhelming smell of fresh bread, herbs, an as sundry of meats, and the lingering smell of coffee. He smiled, and looked around for his girlfriend. He spotted her in a corner booth, sipping coffee and reading a tabloid magazine. She didn't look up when he kissed her just below the hairline on her forehead, or when he slid into the seat across from her. Mai wasn't ever rude to anyone, unless she was being paid to act like it. Jou took her free hand.

"Hiya babe, what are you reading?" She flicked her violet eyes up to him, and back down.

"Someone posted things about how famous I'm getting, and that I should be the next Marilyn Monroe before the year is out." Her voice took on a haughty tone, worse then her normal 'I'm prettier then thou' voice she had all the time. "I personally think I surpassed the fat cow many years ago. I would never degrade myself by standing over a grate and flashing the general population!"

Jou gave her a small, closed mouthed smile. At times, she seemed almost as self-centered as Kaiba, but never went as far as to put Jou down. He felt the pocket of his jeans with his free hand. Inside, was a little black box, and inside that, was a diamond ring. It has cost him a 3 whole paychecks, a month living off scraps of food, and lots of odd jobs to pay for it, _and it's all going to be worth it when she says yes. _He smiled a little wider.

"Say, Mai?" She 'hmmed' questioningly. "I've got something to ask you, something really important." She looked up quickly, and folded her magazine.

"Oh that reminds me, I've got something to tell you too." Jou smiled.

"You first babe." She took both of his hands in hers, and smiled her movie star smile. "I think we need to take…a break from being in a relationship. It has nothing to do with you, I just think that while I'm in New York, we shouldn't be confined to each other's hearts." She reached out to stroke his confused face. "Just think of it as a vacation form being together, okay?" She got her purse, slid out of her seat, and left.

Jou sat in a daze. He couldn't believe what had just happened. After all the work he had done, all the bruises, all the blood he shed, every tear that had threatened to spill out of his eyes, she just up and left him. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and he fought back the urge to let them fall. He slowly crawled out of the booth, stood up, and walked straight into the chest of another person. He hung his head.

"Sorry, my bad." He turned to walk around them, when a hand gripped his bare upper arm. His eyes went wide, _Oh gods no. Please not now…_ and he looked up at the face that he already knew held those enchanting dark blue oarbs.

"Not so fast, puppy…."

And so, I leave you to ponder what shall happen to our newly heartbroken Jou. Will he tell Seto of his love, or run away? Or perhaps, do neither. Reviews are always welcome, and so are flames. Why, you ask? Because I've got a lot of pent up anger that I would _love_ to send your way.


	2. He Ran, Ran so Far Away

Hello, and welcome to chapter two!! I'm so happy to see all the people that have checked out my story, but a little disappointed that no one's reviewed… Anyhoo, I just need to clarify some things before this story goes any further.

First off, this story is set after the Final Duel, after everyone has graduated, and some of them are in collage. So picture Jou as a 19 something year old, with a shitty job and poor living conditions.

Secondly, the Spirits (Atem, Bakura, and Marik) are all gone. They no longer inhabit the bodies of their hosts, but may make an appearance if I'm feeling generous.

Lastly, I really hate Anzu and Mai with a fiery burning passion. That's why, when they appear in the story, they aren't going to be liked very much.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot line in my head.

________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Two- He Ran, Ran so Far Away…:

"_Not so fast, puppy…."_

Seto Kaiba was grasping his arm with a gentle fierceness that Jou had never felt. It was as if he was being held captive, yet treated like a lover. He stared into those icy eyes, and found them swirling with amusement. He felt a small tear trickle down his cheek, and Seto followed it with his eyes. He lifted his free hand to the blonde's face, and gently wiped the tear.

"Well, it just goes to show, that even filthy mutts like you, can get a broken heart."

Jou's heart beat sped up, and his stomach clenched. He lowered his head again, and Seto lifted it back up. Jou fought the urge to look deep into his eyes, to tell him everything he was feeling. He wanted desperately to tell him that he was trapped in his eyes, a servant forced to love him against his will. Jou wanted nothing more then to see love in his eyes, and wasn't surprised to have them only show arrogance. Seto leaned in close to his ear, so close that Jou could feel every breath he took.

"I can see it, Katsuya, every feeling that is racing through your heart. Fear, anger, sadness, regret," he licked the boy's ear. "lust."

Jou, at that very moment, knew what he had to do. He bolted from the iron clad grip, and fled the restaurant. He never looked back, never stopped running, not even when Seto began to chase after him, and gave up. Not even when Seto called his name, a futile attempt to get his attention.

________________________________________________________________________

That day, Jonouchi Katsuya ran as far, and as fast as he ever had. He ran past his apartment, past the Game Shop, past Kaiba Head Quarters, out of the city, and finally came to a stop in the middle of a dense part of forest. He was breathing heavy, and his legs felt like Jell-O, but he had no memory of how he got here. The canopy of leaves blocked out most of the sun, but patches of light managed to make it through in streams that penetrated the path.

From where he was, he heard a stream somewhere off in the distance, and the sound of a flute. _Odd,_ he thought,_ I wouldn't have pegged this sort of place as a good spot to play music…_ He listened to the sad melody for another moment, then turned around and walked back the way he came.

He eventually came to a highway, and was picked up by a bus heading back into the city. When it dropped him off in front of his apartments, he got off, and slowly made his way up the stairs to his home. Not even bothering to lock the door behind him, he went straight to the couch, and collapsed, falling into a deep slumber.

________________________________________________________________________

When Jou awoke, his living room was dark, and the clock on the DVD player read 2:13. _In the morning? Wow, I guess I was tired from all that running…_ he sat up slowly, and stretched out his aching muscles. His legs hurt the worst, and he expected that. Jou decided to take some pills, get a little food, and soak in a nice warm bath.

He stepped gingerly into the small kitchen/eating area. Remembering that he hadn't gone shopping in a couple of months, eating was out of the question. He rummaged through a drawer, and extracted pain pills. He chased them down his throat with a glass of water, and set the glass in the sink.

As he was walking toward the only bathroom, he noticed something on the table. Upon further inspection, it was an envelope addressed to him. The hand writing was neat, and very graceful. When he picked it up, something slipped out and landed on the table. He put the envelope back on the table, and focused his attention on the rather large silver oval. When he got a good look at it, it turned out to be a locket. The front was inlaid with gold and blue gems that sparkled dazzlingly, even in the grimy light of his apartment. The whole thing was silver, and the chain was long and sturdy. He opened it, and found it blank inside. Unconsciously, he put the chain over his head, and picked up the envelope. Inside was a letter that read;

_Dearest Katsuya,_

_Please keep this on you at all times, for not only your sake, but for the sake of your heart. Trust no one with it, its use will become clear in time. If you find yourself in need of help, no matter how trivial the task is, open the locket and speak your question. It shall answer true and honest. _

_Lovingly,_

_Yours. _

Jou's heart raced, and he broke into a cold sweat. _Some one was in my house…while I was sleeping. _ He sprinted to the front door and checked the dead bolt; unlocked. "FUCK!" He quickly locked the door and pushed a kitchen chair up against the handle. His breathing was quick and erratic, and his heart felt like a galloping horse. He took a few deep breaths, and headed into the bathroom.

________________________________________________________________________

As Katsuya fell into his bed that morning, the locket was still laying against his chest like a faithful lover. Since the first moment he put it on, he had never considered taking it off. His thoughts drifted to the letter, particularly the part about asking it questions. He held it up in front of his face. "So what are ya, some sort of high-class Magic-8ball?" He paused for a moment, and opened the locket. Inside, where it was once just blank nothingness, there were now words. Not just any words, but an answer to his question. The words were written in the same script that the letter was.

_Yes, you could think of it that way. If it so pleases you, Katsuya. _

Jou was taken aback. Not only did the locket answer, it used his real name, and seemed to be quite the gentleman…thing. He closed it, and asked another question, this one much more personal. "Am I gay?" He reopened the locket and a new string of words was etched into the silver.

_You are in love with one man, and other than that, you have no interest in love anymore. _

Jou smiled. _Spot on, old chap._ He thought, and closed the locket again. He was about to ask another question, when his cell phone rang. It startled him out of his concentration, and he hastily reached for the phone. It was a text from his ex-best friend Honda, and it wasn't good news.

I got the Managers Job 2day, u know that's what I've been tryin 2 do the whole time we've worked here. There was a catch 2 me getting this job, I had 2 fire you. It's nothin personal, but this job means a lot 2 me… Hiroto Honda

He was shaking. Not just a small shiver, but a torrent of violent quakes that ransacked his body. He felt his arm launch the phone across the room, he could see it bounce against the wall, then his vision blurred for the second time in twenty four hours. _Fucking ASSHOLE!!! _Jou's fists were clenched into the bead sheets. _I was his bestfriend, and the reason he GOT that job!! _As painful tears streamed down his face, he fell ungracefully back on the bed, and sobbed, even after he fell asleep.

________________________________________________________________________

Well, there you have it. Chapter 2 of my story. So far, things don't look very good for Jou. The only good thing that has come out of all this, is the strange and beautiful Locket. Who gave it to him? How does the locket answer his questions? Where will this story go? Only time will tell…


	3. Up with a Groan, Out with a Bang

Here I am, presenting Chapter three! Before I start, I'd like to thank the lovely reviewers;

cold kiss, random-laughter, and peseudo-cynic80! Thank you for the reviews!!

DISCLAIMER: ok seriously, we're three chapters into this shindig, you should know by now that I own nothing.

_______________________________________________________________________

Chapter Three- Up with a Groan, Out with a Bang:

The sun streamed mercilessly from the grimy window. Rays of blinding light hit his sleeping face, effectively waking him up. _Fucking hell,_ he squinted at the bright annoyance, _what an awful way to wake up. _He rolled onto his back with a groan, and stared half-lidded at the ceiling. The events of last night came back to him, along with the slight weight of the locket on his ribs. He picked it up, and ran his thumb over the intricate jewels that were set in it.

"How will today go?" Jou paused, and opened the locket.

_It will end… with a bang._

He chuckled, but on the inside he was nervous. "Metaphorically or otherwise?" He opened it again.

_A small part of each, you could say._

Jou was confused, but the fierce rumble of his empty stomach stole his attention away. He rubbed his stomach, and looked at his worn wallet that lay next to his phone. Sighing, he got up and walked over to his closet, where he pulled out a faded pair of blue jeans and a pale green shirt. He rummaged around and found his sneakers, grabbed his wallet and phone, and headed out the door, making sure to lock it this time.

________________________________________________________________________

With a stomach full of food, and a bit of courage, he made his way to the pawn shop. The ring was sitting like a stone in his pocket, and he wanted it gone. He didn't care what they gave him for it, it would pay the rent and food for a while. _Until I can get a new job at least…_ He stopped in front of the door, gently touched the locket under his shirt, and walked in.

The store owner turned out to be a very nice older lady, who thought the ring was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. He walked out with a fat wallet, and a little pep in his step. As he was heading back to his apartment, he got a thought in his head. _Why not enjoy the sunset in the park?_ Jou's face lit up with a smile, as he altered his course, and started for the park.

________________________________________________________________________

By the time Jou arrived at the park, it was well into sunset. There weren't very many people there, mostly couples walking hand in hand. He envied them, he longed to have that close bond with someone. Even in the days that he was dating Mai, they were only together long enough to talk about her looks, have sex, and wake up to find her gone. Now that he had the time to think on it, it was clear to Jou that she was only in the relationship for the complements and the fucking. His face set into one of anger, as he remembered all those times when she had stood him up for dinner, or when she had left in the middle of a movie to make a call, and never came back. He wondered what she was _really_ doing in New York right now. Unfortunately, his thoughts were broken by the one person that he hoped to never see again.

"Jou!! It's been like forever, why don't you like, answer any of my texts?" He could feel his eardrums shatter at the sound of her voice. He tried to ignore the whore-ish beast that was advancing on him, but it was too late; the Anzu was upon him. Her arms were around his neck, as she gave him a tight hug.

"Yeah, hi…" He tried to push her away, but she tightened her grip. Ever since the final duel, and Atem crossed over, she's clung to every guy that would want to get her in bed, and even some that don't. She had changed for the worse, if you could imagine that possible, in almost everyway. Her hair was dyed a strawberry blonde, with dark roots a good three inches long, she wore heavy make up and dressed like a girl who's still in high school; Shot skirts, too-tight shirts, and flats. In a nutshell, she was a whore. Although he doubted that anyone that had slept with her had given her money…

"Listen, Anzu, I'm kind of in a hurry. It was…um… good to see you." He pulled away and started to walk away when she grabbed his arm.

" I know what Mai did to you." He stopped struggling and listened. "I know that you were going to propose, Yugi let it slip last week, and I know the ring you bought was expensive." Jou turned around just enough to see that she had a lustful look on her face, one that contorted his own face into a snarl; he knew where this little speech was going. "That ring deserves to be on the hand of a beautiful woman, and I'm willing to work for it…" She pressed her chest into his back and blew air on the back of his ear.

Jou roughly shoved her away, and whirled around to face her, his expression one filled with pure hatred. His body was ridged, fists clenched into tights balls that shook slightly.

"You," he said, voice a low rumble that he didn't know he could produce, " are a lowlife _whore_, whose only goal is to make yourself as rich as you can, by _fucking_ every willing _person_ in this _fucking_ city." He looked down at her, much in a way that Kaiba had looked down at him so many times. "Go. Burn. In. HELL!" And with that , he turned down a random pathway, and didn't look back.

________________________________________________________________________

Katsuya continued to walk along the path, even after the sun had set. He had been coming to this park with his little sister Shizuka since they had moved here, but he hadn't ever walked in this area before. The trees were denser, blocking out most of the moonlight. Ahead of him, the trees split into an archway. When he looked closer, he could see the shimmer of a pond, and he heard the hauntingly sad melody of a flute. It drew him closer to the opening, much in the same way that _his_ eyes did. The locket pulsed under his shirt, growing warmer with every step he took.

He reached the opening, the music was as loud as it had ever been, filling the clearing with a melancholy feeling. He looked around slowly, and settled on the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. It was Seto, playing a silver flute, with two large wings curled slightly around him. They were an almost perfect match to those that resided on the back of a Blue Eyes White Dragon, white in color, strong looking, but Jou had the feeling they were soft to the touch. Seto's eyes were closed, and a look of peace was clearly preset on his fetchers. The song ended, and his eyes opened. To Jou, the color was more intense then ever. Seto smiled, a small one, but not filled with arrogance.

"I new you would come, or rather, _hoped_ you would." He walked over to Jou, his steps seeming even more graceful then normal. The wings on his back lightly moved with every step. "I hope you didn't mind me leaving you the gift, but I didn't think you would have taken it if I had given it to you in person." They were now standing close, and Jou found himself mesmerized by his whole being. When he opened his mouth to speak, his voice came out in a whisper.

"Why did you give me this?" He took out the locket form under his shirt. Seto smiled, and grasped Jou's hand that held the locket.

"To help you, and protect you. To let you have a piece of me where ever you go." Seto walked forward, making Jou take a step back. "I needed to know that you were safe, and that if you needed anything, you wouldn't be alone." Jou frowned.

"But you don't like me…you're the cruelest person I've ever met." Seto frowned at this, but kept his slow advancement on Jou.

"I need to be harsh to you in public, because then you will be stronger." Jou found himself up against a tree, and Seto's chest against him. "All you need to know right now, are three things. Are you ready to hear them?" Jou nodded, and Seto smiled.

"One: the words that appear in your locket are my own. All the answers that you get come straight from me. Listen to them, and they'll help you. Two: I love you. Nothing will ever change that, but we need to keep it a secret for the time being. Three: Faeries are real. They will harm you if you're not with me, or you do not have the locket." Seto placed both of his hands on either side of Jou's face. "Believe, Katsuya, everything will be alright soon."

Seto leaned in, and capsured Jou's lips with his own. Jou saw fireworks, his head was spinning, and he loved it. His hands gripped Seto's shirt, and he kissed back with every part of his being. Behind his closed eyes, stars were exploding. Seto pulled away slowly, and Jou wimpered.

"Goodnight Katsuya, I love you." Jou opened his mouth to reply, just as Seto thumped him on the head, hard. His world went black…

________________________________________________________________________

Told you, it was going to end with a bang! I don't know if it's the way that I would have ended a first kiss, but hell, its Seto. Got to be a brute, that one does. Please review, for I love to read them. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…


End file.
